Christodoulides met with the IMF Counselor of the European Department, Rachel Van Elkan, and the members of the IMF team drafting a report on the economic aspect of a Cyprus settlement and the post-settlement issues of the Cypriot economy.
In statements after the meeting, Christodoulides said that he elaborated to Van Elkan on the importance which the government attaches to IMF and World Bank involvement, since the economic aspect of a solution is of major significance, noting that the two organisations’ delegations had visited Cyprus at the government`s initiative. “We want to have specific data before us,” Christodoulides said.
The IMF officials referred to preliminary findings of their study. They said that the economic aspect on the settlement does not concern only the property issue, and that the IMF is particularly interested in having a long-term sustainable economy, and considers that the cost of the settlement must be the minimum possible.
Christodoulides also had a working lunch with acting US Assistant Deputy Secretary of State, Phil Kosnett, who in a couple of weeks will take over as charge d’ affairs at the US Embassy in Ankara.
The spokesman also met with the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department Victoria Nuland. As he said they discussed the recent events in Constantinople (Istanbul), the current state of affairs at the UN-led Cyprus talks and the steps forward with a view to reaching a positive outcome, the concrete messages that must be sent to Turkey, especially about the property and the guarantee issues, and concrete aspects of the issues discussed at the negotiations.
Christodoulides told Nuland that all these issues must be taken into consideration in view of the UN-Secretary General`s forthcoming report and the Security Council deliberations for the adoption of a resolution on the renewal of UNFICYP mandate.
Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides will also have a meeting with Nuland on June 13, after his meeting with USSecretary of State John Kerry.
Source: Cyprus Mail
